marvelcomicsfanonfandomcom-20200222-history
Taskmaster (Earth-11584)
History "My dear, this was always a zero-sum game. You were the best at what you did, until you weren't anymore. And as soon as your usefulness to me ended, you became a liability. And liabilities are a commodity I never tolerate." Little is known about the history of the individual known only as Taskmaster. He is presumed to be an American based primarily on his accent and looks, but this is yet unconfirmed. His true identity is a mystery to all but himself, even SHIELD has little real information concerning his early life. What is known is that he had become a well-known criminal mastermind, in league with elements of the Hand, HYDRA, and other criminal organizations, sometime prior to the downfall of the Soviet Union. He is also independently wealthy, though whether that wealth is inherited or from ill-gotten gains is again conjecture. Sometime after the fall of the Soviet Union, he purchased the services of Natasha Romanoff, who would later become known as the Black Widow, from the remnants of the KGB that ran the Red Room Academy in Russia. Taskmaster would use the Black Widow to topple democratically elected governments for profit and for the will of HYDRA, whom he would occasionally perform missions for. This arrangement continued for several years until he saw Widow hesitate on a mission to Buenos Aires. Anticipating that she could falter on her next mission, Taskmaster set about finding a way to cut loose the weak link. Conspiring with SHIELD director and HYDRA agent Wolfgang von Strucker, Taskmaster set up Widow to be killed by SHIELD agents during a capture and grab mission involving weapons scientists. Widow, however, was captured alive rather than kiled, and soon turned against her former employer. Taskmaster attempted to use the biological weapons cache that had been found as leverage to start World War III, but was defeated by a combination of Black Widow, Clint Barton and Barbara Morse. Taskmaster was taken into custody shortly thereafter, and the remnants of his criminal organization were taken down with him. Over a decade later, Taskmaster was contacted from space by the Asgardian Loki, asking him to form a partnership for world domination. Taskmaster orchestrated his escape from SHIELD's custody, and then infiltrated the Dark Energy Research Facility, using the Tesseract to open a portal to space and summon Loki to them. After taking the artifact, Taskmaster and Loki then put a second phase of their plan in motion, with Loki feigning his capture in Stuggart Germany as a distraction, while Taskmaster freed several other super-villains (namely the Abomination, Whiplash and Blizzard) from prison. Taskmaster then used his connections to steal a Quinjet and attack the SHIELD Helicarrier directly, nearly destroying it and freeing Loki at the same time (and also potentially killing SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson). Taskmaster helped build the device that powered the Tesseract more stably, leaving a portal open to allow the Chitauri to make their way through to New York. During the Battle of New York, though, Taskmaster's forces were easily dispatched by the Avengers, as he slinked back into the shadows. His freedom would not last long, however, as a year later he would be hunted by the super hero group known as the Thunderbolts. While Taskmaster was still a dangerous adversary, age and lack of resources had made him a shell of what he had once been, and in the end he was captured and taken back into SHIELD custody, where he remains to this day. Powers & Abilities * Photographic Memory: Taskmaster possesses almost instantaneous recall of any and all encounters he has had over the years. Through painstaking mental training, this photographic memory is the basis for his superior hand to hand fighting prowess, and his ability to anticipate his opponent's moves. * Combat Skills: As said, his photographic memory is invaluable. Taskmaster has mastered virtually every form of known hand to hand combat, is a master of most weaponry as well, and is capable of fighting several opponents all at once. * Anticipative Attack Styles: Perhaps his most unique ability is the strength of anticipating and countering his opponent's moves, before they make them. When engaged in a fight, it is entirely possible that Taskmaster has already weighed virtually every variable to the point of being nearly impossible to surprise or catch off guard. Weaknesses Despite his incredible prowess at physical combat (his strength is generally regarded above the average human for his age and weight), Taskmaster remains invariably human and can be killed relatively easily as a result. His ability to anticipate, while impressive, can lead to a false sense of security and falter if faced with several, generally chaotic, opponents, such as his defeat to the Thunderbolts and being overpowered by the Avengers. Film Details Taskmaster appears in the following films within the Earth-11584 continuity of the MCU. In all cases he is portrayed by actor Titus Welliver. * Black Widow (2010) * Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) only * The Avengers (2012) * Thunderbolts (2013) Category:Earth-11584 Category:Earth-11584 Characters Category:Bad Characters